In another time, in this moment, deep within a thick bamboo forest where the thunderous roar of a distant waterfall echoed loudly, Ji Wuye sat in a meditative lotus position beneath the shrouded canopy of ancient trees, repeating the intricate process of elemental awakening.
His brow furrowed in concentration, beads of sweat glistening on his furrowed brow as he focused.
Of course, this secluded glade was far from the waterfall where the Kunlun disciples lay in ambush—a remote and secluded location shielded from prying eyes.
As he sat cross-legged with his jian, placed on the moss-covered ground before him, the process of elemental awakening had progressed to a new stage.
His body was no longer enveloped by the usual faint bluish Qi, but by a muddy brown Qi that swirled around him like ephemeral dust motes.
The Qi was already being drawn in, swirling and flowing through his body and organs.
As was his practice, Ji Wuye's eyes immediately fluttered open, his crimson pupils immediately locking onto the jian as he gripped the hilt with one hand.
He then began channeled the Earth Qi into its razor-sharp edge with a look of intense focus, and—
"Hah," A soft scoff escaped his lips, one of his hands moving to cover his eyes, leaving a small gap through which a glaring brown light shone from the blade's edge with an unearthly radiance.
'Another success...' Ji Wuye muttered inwardly, a ghost of a smile playing across his features.
Within his Upper Dantian that filled with sea of Qi, a small patch of 'dirt' had formed—rich and fertile like the soil that nurtured all life.
It provided a foothold for the sapling of Wood Qi to grow and for the golden liquid of Water Qi to settle and be nourished. This 'dirt,' of course, was the manifestation of Earth Qi made corporeal.
Now complete, a small land had formed within the sea of Qi in his Upper Dantian.
However, there was something missing....
'It feels like nothing has changed,' he muttered, his deep voice reverberating slightly as he observed the brown light emitted from his jian.
The edge of the jian was currently enveloped in a brownish light of Earth Qi. This light had many sharp points—unlike the slim, smooth edges of Water Qi or the branching forms of Wood Qi that he was accustomed to manipulating.
Instead, it resembled dense chunks of earth overlapping each other in a rugged, unrefined pattern.
Stolen novel; please report.
In addition, what he meant by something feeling missing was that, unlike the fluid Water Qi Sword Aura, which could influence its surroundings, this Earth Qi Sword Aura seemed to have no such effect on the ground around or beneath him.
'Perhaps I need to use my imagination, just like when I use Wood Qi Sword Aura,' he mused.
Instantly, the dirt and fallen leaves before him rose as if pulled by an unseen force, forming a small spike before shifting its earthy shape into a jian—a sword made of compressed earth.
Seeing the earthy jian take shape and feeling that controlling the manifested Earth Qi was much like how he handled the Wood Qi Sword Aura, Ji Wuye smiled faintly, a look of quiet satisfaction crossing his features.
'Perfect,' With a subtle flick of his wrist, he stopped channeling the grounding Earth Qi into the physical blade, and the glowing brown edge immediately dimmed to a dull luster.
Along with the fading radiance, the cool, permeating sensation of drawing upon that elemental reservoir deep within his Upper Dantian faded away like a receding tide.
Still seated in a cross-legged meditation stance, Ji Wuye's next thought was to take stock and check his updated stats.
With a measured exhale, he willed forth the translucent status screen that materialized before him in a shimmering display of iridescent light.
image [https://i.ibb.co.com/R6B0hSy/Notif-1.webp]
His crimson pupils narrowed into intense slits as he pored over the stats point, his lips curling upward into a wide, feral grin at what he saw.
The next moment, he took another a deep, centering breath, visibly calming the surge of excitement rippling through his body.
No wonder, he felt like the capacity of his Dantians felt utterly enormous, a vast well of energy culminating in his Upper Dantian.
Even as he scanned the illuminated status display, he could feel the constant, rhythmic flow of Qi pulsing through his meridians, storing it in his Dantians while his body seamlessly absorbed more Qi from the outside.
'There are rumors that those who reach the 8th realm undergo another physical transformation, their entire body tempered once again,' Ji Wuye muttered inwardly,.
From the heightened feel of his current strength and reserves, it was maddeningly unclear whether he had already reached the pinnacle of a 7th realm martial artist or had finally stepped through the veil into the 8th realm.
'Well, I need a target to test,' he thought aloud, rising fluidly from his meditative stance.
The next moment, with a deft flourish, he stored his jian in his inventory before glancing upward toward the higher ground where the Kunlun grounds were built. 'It’s also about time, but well, there's something I need to do first.'
...
The brilliant morning sunlight bathed Ji Wuye's striking youthful figure as he ascended the ascending ground.
His pristine white robe billowed behind him, the aqua stripes flickering like coursing streams as his long white hair, a striking contrast to his crimson eyes, danced on the crisp mountain breeze.
Finally arrived at the Kunlun Qiuxiu village outskirt, the warm golden rays illuminated his chiseled features, high cheekbones framing full lips curved in a confident smile, as if he basked not just in the radiant sunlight but in his own quiet aura.
"Oh my...what an immortal adonis..." a young woman suddenly murmured in an awed hush, her words trailing off as she found herself utterly transfixed by the sight of the extraordinarily handsome young man, eyes roving over his tall frame of around six chi as he made his way along the path toward the bustling village street.
"Greetings, honored Senior," a blushing maiden adorned in pink silk robes called out sweetly, holding up an exquisitely painted folding fan.
She delicately waved the paper plumes before her face, long lashes fluttering demurely as her eyes sparkled with open admiration. "The morning sun blazes quite intensely. Would you care for some modest shade?" Her voice was tinged with unmistakable longing.
Another elegant young woman, her slender figure draped in flowing azure robes, stepped forward cradling an ornate jade tea cup in her soft palms.
Ji Wuye hadn't even fully entered the village proper yet, and already a small crowd of wide-eyed admirers had gathered around the striking young martial artist.
"I have some of our family's finest spring mineral tea, chilled to perfection and ready to serve, most esteemed Senior. It would be my great honor," the blue-robed beauty offered in a breathy tone, lowering her eyes demurely as a becoming flush crept across her porcelain cheeks.
Still riding the crest of elation from his recent power-ups, Ji Wuye flashed a brilliant, dimpled smile and politely shook his head.
"Your generous offers warm me, dear Sisters," he purred in a rich baritone, "but I must attend to matters of grave importance at the Kunlun. Though I cannot indulge such delectable hospitality now, perhaps another time."
With a subtle wink of one of those mesmerizing crimson eyes, he turned and continued on his way.
"Oh! A Kunlun disciple?! Please pardon us, young, handsome hero! This humble one will surely watch and follow your performance!"
"Young hero! I'll make sure to secure a spot to observe you fully!"
Their longing, wistful voices faded into the cacophonous thrum of the crowded street as Ji Wuye's tall, frame disappeared into the crowd.
However, instead of following the main thoroughfares directly to the sect entrance, his piercing crimson gaze shifted sideways to a small path that led to the back of the building.